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Larissa Bonaci

@larissabonaci

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🎭 @crawford_talents 🇬🇧
🎞️ @nokklaproductions 🇲🇹 🇬🇧
🎞️ Series’ Women 2025 - EPI
🎬@morningstarshortfilm

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You came into my life and I truly didn’t realise how much love, happiness, fear, exhaustion and purpose one tiny human could bring into my heart all at once.

Motherhood has changed me in every possible way.

My body has changed. My priorities have changed. My career goals have shifted. Even the way I look at life feels different now.

I’ve had to learn to speak up more, let things go quicker, and stop wasting energy on things that don’t really matter, because at the end of the day, all I want is to be fully present for you.

But if I’m honest… it hasn’t all been beautiful.

I was cut open bringing you into this world. Recovery humbled me. Our feeding journey has brought me to tears more times than I expected. I’ve looked in the mirror some days and barely recognised myself. I’ve felt guilty for working, guilty for resting, guilty for not doing enough, and overwhelmed trying to balance who I was before becoming your mum while also becoming someone completely new.

And somehow through all of it… you still look at me like I’m your safe place.

You’ve taught me patience in ways nothing else ever could. You’ve softened me, grounded me, and reminded me that life is so much more than constantly chasing the next thing. It’s about being present. Being honest. Loving deeply. Letting go of perfection and just doing your best with what you have that day.

I still want to chase my dreams and goals. I want you to grow up seeing that. But I also want you to know that life doesn’t have to look perfect to still be beautiful.

Some days we are thriving, some days we are surviving… but we keep going.

6 months with you already, Niall 🩵

You are the sweetest soul I’ve ever met, and I can’t wait to keep exploring this life with you and your dad 🤍

#motherhood #babyboy #mumandbaby #momlife #baby by @larissabonaci

🎬 Exciting News! 🎬

We’re proud to announce that our film Morning Star has been officially selected for the @mediterranefilmfestival ! 🌟

After an incredible international journey, screening at over 40 film festivals worldwide and winning 10 awards in various categories—this is your last chance to watch our special film in Malta.

🗓️ Join us for the screening:
📍 Embassy Cinema, Valletta
📅 Monday, 23rd June
🕡 6:30 PM

🎟️ Get your tickets here:
👉 https://vp.eventival.com/mediterrane/2025/film/1135201

Come celebrate Maltese cinema with us and support the incredible local filmmakers making waves worldwide. Meet the team behind Morning Star, connect with fellow film lovers, and enjoy a truly special night.

We can’t wait to see you there!

#MorningStarFilm #MediterraneFilmFestival #SupportLocalFilm #MalteseCinema #AwardWinningFilm #FilmFestival2025 by @larissabonaci

‘Morning Star’ the true 1940s wartime love story of performer Christina Ratcliffe and RAF pilot Adrian Warburton.

As many of you might know this film has been in development for over three years and now we are proud to share this little teaser with you. We need help to finish editing the film and send it off to festivals.

We have created a campaign with many great perks to thank you for your contribution if you can support us and our beautiful film. We understand not everyone can support financially so we ask if you would share with your family and friends to spread the word.

Thank you so much for your time and love!

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/morning-star-a-short-film#/ by @larissabonaci

Carbonara, Aperol spritz and film & TV… what a week 🍝🍹🎬 @miamarketrome

Rome marked our first stop on the Apollo Series journey with @seriesmaniainstitute representing @nokklaproductions as we develop our series with @boodie3000 our head writer and my business partner.

Between the Apollo workshops and the wider MIA programme, there was so much to take in: pitching, meetings, honest conversations and getting to know the other producers. And, of course, a little time for Rome.

A big thank you to Maelle Deffrenne, Leona Connell and Isabelle Lindberg Pechou for such a valuable Apollo programme, and to Paolo Ciccarelli and the MIA team for a brilliant drama programme. Plenty of inspiration and plenty to think about.

Being away from my little one wasn’t easy…I missed him so much. But it felt good to have this time for the work too 🤍

Thank you to @artscouncilmalta for the funding that made our participation possible.

Came home with new connections, a head full of ideas and very ready for a cuddle.

#apolloseries #seriesmaniainstitute #nokklaproductions #artscouncilmalta #womeninfilmandtv by @larissabonaci

I didn’t post a Producer Note last week. Between preparing for our teaser shoot, an audience design workshop and my son being sick, it was a lot.

As a woman, a parent and a producer, I sometimes put pressure on myself to hold everything together. To be present for everyone, keep the work moving and somehow get it all right.

Last week reminded me that I can’t always do that.

I had to ask for help, rely on others and accept that some things could wait. That sounds simple, but letting go isn’t always easy when you care so much about what you’re doing.

We got through the shoot thanks to @boodie3000 Emma and a whole team of people bringing their skills and care to it.

I’m still learning that I don’t have to do everything myself for the work to be good. And I can be proud of what we achieved without immediately making a list of everything I could have done better.

Still catching my breath a little 🤍

#producernotes #womeninfilmandtv #workingmother #nokklaproductions #womeninbusiness by @larissabonaci

One thing I keep learning as a producer is how much unnecessary tension can come from a lack of communication.

Plans change. Problems happen. Sometimes you simply don’t have all the answers yet. But leaving people guessing rarely makes things better.

Communication doesn’t always need to be a meeting or a carefully written email. Sometimes, all it takes is picking up the phone and having an honest conversation before a small misunderstanding becomes a much bigger conflict.

Transparency doesn’t mean sharing everything. It means being clear about the things that affect the people involved.

I don’t always get this right, but I’m learning that clear communication is part of protecting the work, the people and the relationships behind it.

#producernotes #womeninfilm #independentproducer #filmproduction #communication

@nokklaproductions by @larissabonaci

Producing can look like momentum from the outside. In reality, it often means spending months moving a project forward without anything visible to show for it.

Development takes time. Sometimes years.

There are drafts, budgets, applications, meetings, conversations that go somewhere and others that don’t. You can spend weeks working on a project and still have nothing new to show anyone.

That part can feel quite lonely. It can be frustrating too. You’re trying to keep the work moving while figuring out what needs to change, who to speak to next, and whether you’re even going in the right direction. People tell you to be patient, but patience isn’t always easy when you care so much about getting something made.

We’re preparing for a shoot for one of our projects at Nokkla, and it’s reminded me how much work happens before you get to that point. Even for one scene.

I’m trying to get better at recognising the smaller bits of progress along the way. A stronger draft. A useful conversation. A decision we’d been putting off.

It all counts, even on the days when I wish things would move faster.

#producernotes #femalebusinessowner #filmdevelopment #independentproducer #womeninfilm

@nokklaproductions by @larissabonaci

So happy to share that @nokklaproductions has been selected to take part in Apollo Series 2026–27, with me representing the company as one of ten European producers.

This has my name on the announcement, but it is very much a WE.

The project we’re taking into the programme is being developed with @boodie3000 Emma Tuqan, the head writer on the project and my business partner. It is something we have been building together, and I’m so happy that we get to take this next step.

Our participation is also possible thanks to funding from @artscouncilmalta 🙏

So much of development happens quietly and over a long time, and this kind of support allows independent companies like ours to keep the work moving and bring it into international spaces.

Over the coming year, we’ll be learning more about development, financing strategy and international co-production, with meetings at @miamarketrome , @gbgfilmfestivalindustry TV Drama Vision and @seriesmaniaforum .

We’re really grateful for the opportunity and excited to meet the other producers, learn from the mentors and continue building the project together.

Thank you @seriesmaniainstitute and Arts Council Malta for making this possible ✨

#apolloseries #womeninfilmandtv #femalefilmmakers #coproduction by @larissabonaci

I’ve been thinking for a while that I’d like to share a little more about my work as a producer and what I’m learning along the way.

Through Nokkla Productions, I’ve been developing work across film, documentary and theatre, and there is so much that happens behind the scenes before anyone ever sees the finished project.

The development, conversations, applications, budgets, pitching, problem-solving and constantly trying to keep the work moving.

Some things I’ve learnt from projects that have gone well, and others from things I would probably handle very differently now.

So I’m starting Producer Notes. Nothing too formal and definitely not because I think I have all the answers! Just an honest space to share what I’m learning as I go…the good parts, the difficult parts and all the work people don’t always see.

If there is anything about producing you would like me to speak about, let me know.

#producernotes #femaleproducer #womeninfilm #womeninbusiness #productioncompany

@nokklaproductions by @larissabonaci

We came to Edinburgh to pitch “Daqqa t’Id.”

A theatre piece born from a documentary in the making about women’s stories of violence, survival and the women who stand beside them.

And while we were here, another femicide in Malta.
It is difficult to speak about opportunities, pitches and theatre without thinking about the reality that sits behind this work.

“Daqqa t’Id” is not only about violence. It is about what happens around it, the women who listen, who care, who cook, who make tea, who laugh, who stay, who help one another carry what is almost impossible to carry alone.

The title itself holds a contradiction: in Maltese, daqqa t’id can mean both a helping hand and a slap in the face.

Made with @galeangele who has carried this with me from the start.

This week, we brought that contradiction to Edinburgh. We listened. We were reminded why these stories need to keep being told.

For every woman whose story is heard, there are so many more we never hear.

We’re making this show to stand with the women who do this work every day…the organisations, the friends, the neighbours who show up.

Enough is enough.

🖤

If you or someone you know needs support in Malta, call 179.

With thanks to the women and organisations who shaped this work - @soarsurvivorshub @fenechshakira @souaddibi @associationafk @sjafngo @women4womenfoundation @joanna.delia @joannadelia @sigefsummit

🖤

Pitched at Edinburgh with the support of @artscouncilmalta. Thank you to @lukedalli, the whole team behind this initiative and the Ministry for Culture.

@edfringe @assemblyfest by @larissabonaci

Sometimes the hardest part isn’t hearing “no.”
It’s feeling like you were never really given a chance.

I’m learning that I can be grateful for every opportunity and still admit when something hurts. I can show up, be professional, smile, do the work, and still feel heartbroken underneath it all.

Lately I’ve been questioning a lot. My place, my worth, my talent, my body, my look, my timing. And maybe that’s the painful part of this industry: sometimes you don’t just lose a role or a position, you lose a little bit of certainty about yourself.

But I’m trying to remind myself that not being chosen does not mean I am not worthy. Not being fully seen by someone does not mean there is nothing to see.

Today, I’m showing up anyway.
With a heavy heart, but still with hope.

#feelingoverlooked
#stillshowingup
#quietstrength
#trusttheprocess by @larissabonaci

Still deep in rehearsals @madc1910

Gertrude is perfecting the fine art of looking regal while pretending the family situation is completely normal. 👑

Directed & designed by @michaelmangion
Book your tickets from MADC.COM.MT.

📸 @justinmamophotography

#Hamlet #QueenGertrude #Shakespeare #MADC by @larissabonaci